Hilariously well acted and a breath of fresh air into the horror genre, Bodies Bodies Bodies is full of Gen Z humour, fake friends, blood, tears and bad decisions.
Written by Becca Johnson / September 13, 2022
Directed by Halina Reijn and starring Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Pete Davidson (Big Time Adolescence) and Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby), Bodies Bodies Bodies is becoming the most talked about horror comedy of the year. When a group of friends in their early twenties get stuck in a remote mansion during a hurricane, a murder mystery game goes badly wrong when one of them ends up dead for real.
Bodies Bodies Bodies has a script that will be much like marmite; you'll either love it or hate it. For the right audience, it's mash up of internet slang, Gen Z buzzwords and social satire will be pretty genius and well-written. The murder mystery/whodunit element is interesting enough, leaving the ending a complete surprise – it sticks it's landing, the final scene perhaps being the best of them all. The movie is down to Earth and doesn't try too hard to be anything other than dumb, popcorn fun. With a snappy run-time, laugh out loud funny dialogue and a memorable killer ending, what's not to love?
Much of the humour lands due to how well it's delivered; every young actor is phenomenal here. During the lead up, fans were excited to see Rachel Sennott grace the screen again, and she easily steals the show. Sennott plays Alice, a character who is clearly pretty terrified of what's going on around her, and plays it safe by going along with whatever is happening. Amandla Stenberg is also fantastic as Sophie, our main character, who is not only facing a murderer amongst her friendship group but a battle with addiction. Top notch performances are given across the board from the likes of Maria Bakalova, Pete Davidson and Lee Pace. The characters are ridiculously unlikeable, terrible to one another and make the worst decisions, but their frivolity, naivety and hilarious personalities make you root for them regardless.
Aside from it plot and performances, Bodies Bodies Bodies makes you feel like you're alongside the characters for the ride the minute you hit play. It's loud, banging soundtrack, glow sticks and chaotic energy will undoubtedly remind you of your teenage/young adult party days, creating an immersive experience that is hard to look away from. It cleverly uses it's camera work to follow the characters around in the dark, making you feel like you're skulking around with them, looking around corners and staying hidden. It has a gritty, close-up style of cinematography that is often present in slice of life movies, making you feel closer to the characters and giving everything a realistic feel. Sure, it's a light-hearted comedy horror only meant for fun, but it's also an A24 movie. It has that indie, coming of age vibe that we know, love and expect.
Minus a couple of jump scares, darkness and dead bodies, Bodies Bodies Bodies plays it pretty safe with the horror. It's first and foremost a comedy, and though some gore is occasionally present here and there, it often cuts away from the money shot, leaving a little to be desired in this area. It also seems to occasionally forget it's a whodunit, leaving you more interested in the characters and humour than who the killer is. Though the mystery is interesting enough, it's not always competently tied into the wider picture. Luckily, the ending wins us over again and reminds us what movie we're watching. These small flaws do not take away from the utterly fun, hilarious and fresh time that it gives us. 2022 is a strong year for horror, and Bodies Bodies Bodies only adds to that.
STAR RATING
